The characters of the rpg Final Fantasy VIII do not belong to me, therefor there is no use in suing me. The chara’s belong to Sony, Amano Yoshitaka-san and Square, and whoever else that wants to claim them as property, within the boundaries of law and copyright.

And now, for the little warning... This is a SHONEN AI/YAOI-fic, e.g: boys with boys and whatever may come along that road...^-^ If you don’t have an open mind, or are just uncomfortable with these circumstances....why are you still reading???>_<

I will not answer politely to any sort of flames, except the flames of love... ^_~

I want criticism!!! Please send me your comments to:

sakura_chan@starplace.com

By the way, this fic does contain some spoilers, so anyone who’s come all the way through the second disc, is open-minded and into shonen ai and yaoi, are free to read it!^_^ ...It’s better to have come through the second disc, so you’ll have some sort of grasp of the things I insinuate could have happened.

Harigatou gozaimasu, minna-san!!!!

...Oh!! I almost forgot!! The two charas Aqua & Emaralde, are aaaall mine!! So don’t you dare steal them from me!! I’ll send Sephiroth after you to bring me your heads!!! ^_____^

~Visions of the Past~

By

sakura_chan@starplace.com

~Chapter Three~

"Rinoa! Wait up!!" Squall called to the young black-haired woman walking around in the small tropical garden within Trabia Garden. She turned around, and when she saw him, she smiled.

"Squall. Fancy meeting you here...never figured you to be a friend of flowers."

"Well, if you’re a SEED, you’re a SEED..." he grinned, and she chuckled at his bad joke.

"And, then I guess, if you’ve ever been to Garden, you must have a *thing* for flowers, huh?"

"...yes." Squall replied, "We don’t want to ruin my study on how SEEDS automatically are drawn to Garden, and eventually spring to become beautiful flowers, as have you, my dear..."

"You’re weird, Squall. I hope Irvine haven’t influenced you too much."

"But of course he has! Soon, I’ll be running around, chasing after every girl I see!!" Squall made a mocked face of honesty, and Rinoa smirked at him.

"...let’s change the subject, shall we? ...have you heard anything about when Zell’s coming here? I mean, we’ve been here for almost a whole week now! He better show up soon! I want to hear what he’s been up to all these years!"

Rinoa pouted and sat down on one of the benches.

"I’m sure he’ll be here in no time. Don’t worry. And besides, the festival only started yesterday!"

"You’re right.."

Squall sat down beside her on the bench and leaned back on the back rest. He gave a content sigh and said:

"I never thought flowers could smell so good!"

"Neither did I." Rinoa said, the usual happiness suddenly absent.

"Is there something wrong, Rinoa?" he asked, sensing her sudden change of mood.

"Squall...." she whispered, unsure at how to approach what had been gnawing at her for months, "...are you happy with Irvine?" she turned to look him in the eyes, and he smiled at her.

"I couldn’t be happier. He’s all I ever dreamt of ... He’s kind, fun to be with. Of course he looks good, but that doesn’t really matter... He cares about me, and he loves me for who I am, in spite of my bad attitude at times. And I love him too. I can’t imagine how life would be if he went back to his Garden, and I went back to Balamb ... He’s the one I belong to, as well as he belongs to me..." Squall stopped for a second to look at a beautiful blood red, tropical rose. He continued:

"I honestly think we were meant to be with each other..."

With a small sigh, Rinoa wrenched her hands, and looked away from his kind eyes.

"...That’s what I used to think about you and me, Squall.." she whispered, "I never stopped hoping, that you would love me someday...That one day you would open up to me; you would let me see the real you. Not even when I heard about you and Irvine *eloping*, did I lose hope!!" she got up and ran away from his shocked face. He instantly went after her, and grabbed her by the arm, forcing her to turn around. In her eyes, small beads of tears glittered.

"Let go of me Squall!!"

"No! Not until you tell me what’s wrong with you! Why didn’t you tell me sooner!!"

"Because I didn’t want to scare you away!" she exclaimed, her head hanging down, and her bob of the darkest brown hair bounced as she moved.

"Rinoa..." Squall said, and pulled her to his chest, stroking her over the hair, "You wouldn’t have scared me away! Not ever! You’re my friend, and I love you! Oh, Rinoa...don’t cry ...please! It makes me so sad to see you like this!!"

Quietly, she sobbed, clinging close to him, feeling safe and secure in his arms.

But after a while, she sighed, and looked up at him, while wiping her tears away. She smiled at his worried face, and how the scar between his eyes creased so funny. She reached up to kiss his cheek, and smiled, though not with the same lustre as always.

"I love you too, Squall!" and then she turned around and ran away from the Garden, almost crashing into Irvine, who quickly dodged her.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed as she swooshed by, and turned to Squall.

"What was that all about?"

"Nothing, and everything..."

"Huh?" Irvine asked, walking up to his love, and when reaching him, wrapping his arms around him.

"Irvy!! Not here! What if someone sees us..!?" before he had the time, Irvine had closed the distance between them and joined their lips in a soft kiss. As he released Squall from his grip, still holding him tight, Squall sighed, reproachfully:

"Oh, Irvine..!"

"Don’t worry, hun... It’s just a hug, with a little kiss on the side! Besides, I don’t care if the whole world knows about us!! I love you, Squall Leonhart!!!"

Squall pulled back a little, to look his love in the eyes. A slightly suspicious smirk was on his lips, and he asked:

"What’s with you all of a sudden? Ever since we came here last week, you’ve been all ..."

Irvine had the most innocent look on his face and Squall just melted.

"What do you mean ‘What’s with you’? Can’t a man express his love to another?" Irvine pouted.

"Well, of course!" Squall replied, "It’s just that..."

"There, see! Then why are we even having this conversation?!"

"No, but you..."

"Nuh-uh!"

"But..."

"No.

"But Irvie!!"

"No!" Irvine said, "I love you Squall, and I don’t care if this whole Garden learns at once, or even, the whole world!! I love you more than even life itself..." Irvine said softly, mocking a hurt expression, and Squall kissed him as light as a feather.

"I love you, too..." he said, and kissed him once again, but deeper this time.

"....Ah-HEM..!" a voice came suddenly, from out of nowhere, and Squall and Irvine almost *jumped* away from each other, so rapidly that it almost resembled a reflex. Clearly, they had got into the habit of hiding their love from the world, during the years that they couldn’t let it be known because of the war against the Sorceress.

"Quistis!!!" they both said in unison, and both staring at the silently smirking young woman. Her blonde red hair was cut short, even shorter than Irvine’s, and she lazily whisked away her bangs from her eyes. Her glasses were tipped on her nose as she eyed them with a grin. Mockingly sarcastic of both the situation and society in general, she said:

"Now, now, boys. I think you both know better than to behave like this in public...and at an educational facility! What do you think you are teaching the young men and women of this Garden?!"

"Quistis!" Squall said, a smile covering his face and stretching his lips as he walked over to her and gave her a hug, "When did you get here?"

"Just about an hour ago, or something like that. ...I *heard* about the two of you..." she grinned at him, and said, "And quite clearly, you are fully content with your relationship."

Squall nodded, and Irvine noted with a grin, obviously trying to change the current subject:

"...Hey, Quistis, what happened to that hair of yours?" he said, "I would tip my hat for you, if I had had one on me, that is."

"Well, thank you, Irvine! And may I ask, what happened to that hair of *yours*?"

"Oh! Heh, well, that kind of ..." Irvine waved his hand around as if to come up with a good explanation. Squall decided, he might as well say something.

"... It was getting too out of hand." he said "...I couldn’t see that sweet face for all the hair obscuring it!"

"Uhuh?" Quistis, said, and walked up to Irvine, giving him as well a hug, "So Squall sent you to the hairdresser, did he?" she smirked, and Irvine grunted:

"Quistis! Be nice!"

"Ok, ok. I’m just teasing you, you know that, don’t you?"

"Yeah, I know." Irvine said, and smiled.

"... Let’s go to the cafeteria!" Squall suddenly burst out, too happily to be Squall, "We’ll go find Selphie and Rinoa too! It would be just like old times!!"

For one moment there, Quistis thought of rushing up to him, grabbing him by the collar and start shaking, asking him frantically; ‘Squall! Squall! What *are* you and what have you done to *Squall*!!! Squall aren’t ever this happy, so you couldn’t possibly be *him*!!!’, but she thought better of it. It would be a tad bit over-dramatic...and she didn’t want the boys to think she was a total freak...

Fujin stood in Seifer’s room, silently eyeing him from under drooping eyelids. She wasn’t too happy about being dragged out of bed, in the middle of the night, only because of some stupid ‘invitation’ to some festival that Seifer had received.

"Ya know Seifer..." Raijin said, walking up behind Fujin, and standing next to her.

"What?" he asked, too busy throwing clothes around the room; he was looking for suitable clothes to bring to Trabia.

"...This ain’t funny, ya know! I was havin’ da best dream ever!"

"About what!? Fishing?" Fujin asked, slightly annoyed at the fact that Raijin only seemed to think that he was the one in pain at the moment. Her head was beginning to hurt; and it hurt real bad.

"Yeah!" Raijin said, "And I caught da biggest fish yawl’ve ever seen!!"

"What *ever*!!" Fujin grunted, and turned back to the almost feverishly busy Seifer.

"What is this about an invitation, anyway? Could it really be so important for you to come drag the both of us out of bed?"

"Yes! It *is*!!" Seifer turned to look her in the eyes, "It is very important! I have been invited to the Trabia Summer Festival!! Me!! Selphie Tilmitt invited me...!! She sent me this invitation, because she wanted me there! Have you any idea what this means to me?"

Fujin suddenly came to terms with the fact that it was very important. She nodded, saying:

"...I’m sorry, Seifer. I’m just in a bad mood right now..."

Seifer nodded, and smiled, as if to change the subject.

"It’s ok. And besides, you have to come see me off!"

"Now?" said both Fujin and Raijin.

"Yes. At the train station!"

"Now?" said both Fujin and Raijin.

"Yes! I’m taking the night express train! I’ll be in Timber by morning!"

Aqua sat by the window in his hotel room, looking out at the endless fields of green, and sighed. He was bored. Perhaps if that Zell-guy had stayed, had he felt a bit more upbeat, but he hadn’t.

Why couldn’t you be here by now? he asked himself as he thought of his redheaded love, being so far away from him, silently staring at the sky. I miss you, Emmy...

Seifer stepped into his compartment on the train, and greeted his fellow traveller. He put down his duffel bag and said, offering his hand to the other man to shake:

"Hi. I’m Seifer..."

"Hiya, Seifer! Nice ta meet ya! I’m Emaralde. Why don’t ya have a seat? Don’t mind my stuff, just move it if it’s in the way." the young man with the dark, shoulder length, fuzzy, fiery red hair said, giving Seifer’s hand a steady shake.

"O-ok.." Seifer replied, a bit surprised by the strong shake of the young man; he didn’t look too strong... in fact, he almost seemed puny. But then again, if you have only Zell, and maybe Raijin to compare to, what do you do?

Seifer picked out a seat across from the man, and carefully shuffled his stack of things away; there were bags, and suitcases, and weird boxes crammed into the small compartment, and he had to be careful not to drop anything.

"There ya go. I told ya you didn’t have ta mind about my stuff! It’ll be fine, you’ll see!"

Sure. Seifer thought to himself, not sure about what to say to the weird young man. He couldn’t be much younger than him, he thought, maybe a year or two at most. And still, when he sat and listened to the redhaired man, he felt so *old*. After a couple of minutes had passed, and Seifer’s eyes had frozen on the landscape, or lack of it, as they passed through the underwater tunnel to Timber, the young man brought him out of his dreams.

"’s there something wrong, Seifer-kun?" Emaralde asked, a concerned look on his face, "Man, lighten up! What could be so awful, as to bring a cutie like you down?"

Seifer’s eyes ripped themselves from the darkness lit up only by the few torches lighting up the way underground. He stared in disbelief at the other man, who was looking back at him with such honest eyes.

"What...what did you just say?" he asked, fighting not to stammer.

"Well, I told ya to lighten up..."

"No..no, the other thing ..." Seifer wavered with his hand in a confused fashion, and furrowed his brow.

"Well, I told ya you was cute, but thats’ just the truth. Man, I’m not coming on to ya or anything, if that’s what you’re afraid of! I already got a boyfriend!!" Emaralde said, turning his palms upwards as if to show he wasn’t joking.

"Cute?" Seifer asked, still not willing to believe anyone could find him *cute*.

"Yeah! Bet you have a lot of girls just waiting in line to be yours. They’d have to be, if they weren’t insane!"

Seifer smiled dryly:

"No. I don’t have ‘a lot of girls just waiting in line’..."

"Then, maybe boys?" Emaralde asked, completely innocently. Seifer found himself speechless; was it really that easy to see him through?

"No!! What gives you the right to ask me this?! Don’t you know it’s rude to dig into other people’s private life!?" Seifer hissed, feeling his cheeks burn.

"Geez! Sorry, man! Just tryin’ to get a conversation goin’ that’s all!"

Seifer decided he would not answer that stupid defense speech. Emaralde looked at him as he continued to gaze at the walls passing quickly behind them.

With a lopsided smirk of thought, he decided to go about it another way.

"Look, Seifer. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been as nosy as I always am with my friends. I should have been more appropriate. Please forgive my bad behaviour!"

Seifer remained silent, refused to divert his eyes from the walls and the specks of light passing by. After a while, he glanced at Emaralde, his eyes being nothing more than thin streaks of grey.

"So, Emaralde, what gives you the right to think you can just walk all over me, and then expect me to forgive you?" he said.

Emaralde looked up from the book he was reading, and instead took a hold on Seifer’s eyes.

"I didn’t just walk all over you! I was trying to be friendly, that’s all!"

"Friendly? Huh? Do you call *that* being friendly?!" Seifer did *not* like that respond.

"Ok, ok! I’m sorry! Just get over it already!!"

"No! What makes you think you can just tell me right in my face that I’m some freak, when you don’t even know me!!"

"I only asked you if you liked boys or girls!!!" Emaralde protested wildly.

"There shouldn’t even have been such a question coming from you!! I mean, HYNE, what sort of nerve do you have!!" Seifer found himself ready to burst with anger. Just the thought of some queer asking him such things, made him furious. But clearly, he wasn’t the only one bursting with rage.

"Just forget I ever said anythin’, ok, Seifer?! Go fuck whatever you like, boy, girl, animal, whatever!!"

"Fuck you!! Just *shut up*, you redheaded bastard!!"

"You callin’ me a bastard?!"

"Yes, I am, you freak!!"

"Oh, that does it!! When we get to Timber, I am so gonna kick your ass!!"

"I sure wouldn’t bet on it!!"

They both went silent, neither feeling too comfortable over the fact that what had been the promising start of a conversation, had almost turned into a fist fight. Seifer went back to staring at the walls passing by, and Emaralde resumed reading his book.

They were approaching Timber rapidly, but Seifer still thought it didn’t go fast enough. He didn’t like the thought of sharing this compartment with Emaralde, even if it was for only one more minute.

Soon, the train was making its way into Timber, and when it came to a stop, the two passengers of the small compartment glanced one final look of rage at each other and then Seifer stood up, collected his things, and went out the door.

"Thanks for nothing, you fucker!!" he said, still furious, and Emaralde called after him, equally furious:

"No problem, you smart-ass!!"

*******

Seifer walked rapidly down the flight of stairs just beside the platform by the train, and couldn’t help but notice a young blue-haired man standing there waiting, his big red eyes shining with joy, and excitement.

"Excuse me, sir!" the young man said, "But, have you perhaps seen a friend of mine? He’s got bright red hair, and dark green eyes..."

"Yeah, I have!!" Seifer snapped, walking past the confused young man, who befuddledly looked to either the train, and the rushing, angry blond.

When the young man looked back, his face lightened up with the happiest look, and he called out:

"Emaralde!!"

"Aqua, baby!! Ha-haah, am I glad ta see ya!" Emaralde exclaimed as he jumped off the train and ran to pick up Aqua and swing him around high in the air.

Seifer turned around at the sound of laughter, and when he saw the laughing couple, he shrugged. Though he didn’t want to admit it, he was feeling envious. Even more determined than before, he turned and walked away.

*******

On the line-cruiser to Trabia, Zell was sitting in his quarters, trying to keep still as the rocking of the boat tossed his insides around. In short, he wasn’t feeling very well. His face had taken on a pale, slightly green color, and even though his stomach was making wild protests, he was determined he wouldn’t go hurling in the toilet again. He kept telling himself:

"Come on, Zell!! You don’t feel sick!! It’s just you stomach foolin’ ya! It’s not that bad, is it?!"

And the next thing he knew, he would be running to the toilet, as the nausea struck once again, setting the score to ‘everything - 0’ to Zell’s guts.

Zell cursed as he stumbled out of the bathroom, and collapsed on the bed.

How come I can’t handle this, when I could easily handle both Raijin’s driving, and the submarine, the Garden and that spacestation?! he thought as he once again felt the nausea rise up his throat. A silent knock was heard, and he slowly turned his head, irritatedly asking:

"What is it!"

"Room service! May I come in, sir?" the voice said, being the bright voice of a young woman.

Silently, Zell cursed to himself, and after a moment of thought, he said:

"Sure. Come on in."

The door opened and in came a cute young woman dressed in a sort of uniform. He could see she didn’t belong to the kitchen staff, and he suspiciously asked:

"What the Hyne are you?"

The young woman pretended not to notice his rude question, and she picked a small envelope from her chest pocket.

"You received a telegram, sir, and I was ordered to bring it to you."

Zell put his face into the pillow and grumbled some incoherent bunch of curses; he couldn’t read *now*!! He was feeling *sick*, for Hyne’s sake!!

"Excuse me, sir, but you don’t seem to be feeling very well."

No! Really!? Wow, your skills of deduction are astonishing!! Zell thought.

"Should I perhaps call the doctor?"

"No. I’m fine." Zell mumbled from under the pillow he had put on top of his head.

"Ok.." the young woman said, and put the envelope on the bedside table, "Then I’ll leave you, sir. Do try to get better, sir!" she said, and exited through the door, leaving Zell to pity himself all alone.

As the hours lazily dragged themselves forward, Zell finally scooted up the bed and reached for the envelope. Still with his head on the pillow, he opened the all-too-bright envelope and pulled out the small telegram. Trying not to let the nausea get to him, he started reading:

"You go, Dincht-sensei! ‘stop’ Have fun at the festival! ‘stop’ Kick some serious ass! ‘stop’ ...make that >butt<! ‘stop’ Yours, your faithful students at the Dojo ‘stop’"

In spite of the nausea, Zell smiled at the message from his students. Just the thought that they had gone through the mess of finding out on which boat he was travelling warmed his heart.

...in all this mess of nausea and the ship making the weirdest noises, Zell found his own body shutting itself off, so to speak, and sending him off to sleep. Even though he fought to stay awake because of the both weird and discomforting dreams he had gone through these last days, he couldn’t fight it for long...

~*~

...where am I? he thought as he blinked his eyes open, and immediately saw his answer right in front of him. Balamb Garden...! he bolted out of his bed at the dormitory at Balamb Garden, surprised to see how nothing had changed one bit. He spun around, his eyes widening as he even saw the poster of that visual kei band he had so admired back in those days when he first came to Balamb; Shades of Grey. A small chuckle escaped his lips, and he covered his mouth with a hand not to start laughing out loud; this was just the weirdest dream ever! He looked down at his clothes and saw those old baggy jeans, red sneakers and his favourite shirt. Maybe... he thought, ..while this dream lasts, I should take a trip down the cafeteria... Hot dogs!!! he grinned widely, and rushed out the door, and then was knocked back, down on the floor. He looked up and saw his worst enemy standing in his way. Strangely enough, the normally so stoic, handsome young man, didn’t look as high-and-mighty as usual.

"Seifer!!!" he hissed, trying to recover from having all the air shoved out of his lungs.

"Oh! Zell, I’m so sorry!!" Seifer said, and kneeled down to help him back up on his feet. He lowered his voice and looked around, checking so no one saw:

"I was just going to buzz as you came rushing out of there..." his voice wasn’t the only thing about him lowered; his eyes, his posture, and even his spirits seemed low. Zell frowned and looked at his face, trying to read some answers there, but found none. Seifer continued, his voice even more difficult to hear, and his eyes darting to either side of the corridor, anxious to be seen by no one.

"...There’s something I’ve been wanting to talk with you about for a while..."

Reluctantly, Zell nodded, and stepped away from blocking the door, showing Seifer to enter freely.

"Thanks..." Seifer said, still avoiding his eyes. He hurried inside and turned around as Zell locked the door with a four digit code, "Why...are you locking the...?"

Zell turned, eager to see what was going to happen and said:

"So no one will barge in on what you wanted us to talk about."

"Oh ..." Seifer nodded.

"Have a seat, won’t you?" Zell offered, intrigued by the sudden insecurity in Seifer’s appearance; was it just some trick? Was it just some trick that he would later go and tell everyone about, laughing at how gullible Zell had been? He decided, that since it was only a dream, he could bare with it. But a strange feeling in his gut told him that Seifer wasn’t playing some trick on him.

"Ok.." Seifer said, and sat down on the bed, where Zell had offered him a seat. Zell sat down on the bed on the other side of the room that belonged to his roommate.

"So. What did ya wanna talk about?" he asked, and watched, slightly amused, as Seifer twitched at the question. Why would he be so high strung?

Seifer shifted uneasily on the bed, as if he was trying to find a way out of the situation he had put himself in.

"First of all....I would like to apologize ..." he began, and stopped.

"For what?" Zell asked, suddenly feeling suspicious, as if all of the feelings of the time at Garden came floating back, resurfacing all of a sudden.

"For treating you the way I have the last two years here at Garden..."

Zell raised an eyebrow, and then the other went along; what the Hyne was Seifer up too? And..what did he mean with ‘two years’? Zell took another look at him, and had to fight against a smile forming on his lips; he looked so young! He couldn’t have been one day over sixteen! He couldn’t stop the small chuckle escaping him, and Seifer’s face went to his.

"What are you laughing at?" he asked, his cheeks slightly flushed. Zell grinned, feeling utterly pleased at seeing Seifer insecure for a change:

"Nothing. ...nothing at all." he paused and nodded, "Go on."

"....no, it...this wasn’t such a good idea. I should go." Seifer said, and got up, going for the door, but stopped; he didn’t know the code to unlock it. Zell got up as well, and put a hand on Seifer’s arm, trying to turn him around.

"Seifer? What are you trying to say?"

When he wouldn’t answer, Zell went around his taller frame and stood in front of him, looking up into his face.

"Don’t be afraid, Seifer! You never are, are you?"

Seifer shook his head, maybe both to say ‘no, I’m not’ or ‘no, I can’t tell you’. Either way, Zell was left clueless. After a seeming eternity, Seifer finally spoke; his voice nothing more than a sheer whisper in the silence.

".... I...I th-think I’m in love with you!" he blurted out, all in a chain of syllables, so blurred that Zell had no idea what he had just said. But strangely enough, or maybe not since it was a dream, he knew exactly what he had said.

"What?" he asked, his brow furrowed, and his mind digging through every possible thing he might have said, but finding nothing that made sense.

Seifer almost seemed ready to burst with embarrassment, or shame, or plain horrible nervousness. He took a long breath, and, without looking at Zell, repeated himself, just a tad bit slower, and just a bit louder:

"I think..I’m in love with you, Zell..."

The frown disappeared from Zell’s face like water turning into vapor, and all that was left was a smile of stupor. His mouth hung wide, not one sound coming forth. He coldn’t stop staring at the taller boy. When he finally realized Seifer’s face was losing its color and turning white, he put his hands on Seifer’s arms, and pulled him down so he could give him a long, warm hug. Seifer, shocked and surprised over Zell’s reaction, remained tense in his arms, not sure what was happening or what to do.

"...Zell?"

"Hmm?" Zell mumbled, nuzzling his warm chest, hugging him closer.

"...what are you doing..?!"

Zell’s eyes shot open. No, please don’t tell me it was a joke all along!! He bit his lip hard not to squeal, and after taking a long breath, he answered him:

"....holding you...?" he said, so unsure it was the right answer; his dreams had been so confusing lately. He was happily surprised, though, when Seifer relaxed into his arms, and hugged him back.

"Does this mean...you feel the same...?" the incertainty in Seifer’s voice was more than evident, and suddenly something came over Zell. He broke free from Seifer’s embrace, got up on his toes and gave his former enemy the softest kiss on the lips.

...That was when Zell woke up.

"Whoa!!" he grunted as the sudden move of rushing to sit up straight made his guts wrench themselves. After a short retrailing of the dream he had just woke up from, he stumbled across just *what* he had done.

"Haaeeey!!!" he burst out, as the fear and utter embarrassment of his actions in the dream came over him, "I *kissed* him!!!" he whispered, emphasizing every word, making sure that it counted.

"I couldn’t have kissed *him*!!!"

Evidently, he was freaking out about this. But then, he remembered, it *was* only a dream. And he had been having some freakish dreams lately, so in the long run, this one couldn’t be much worse.

... But of course it was...I kissed Seifer!; a scum!; I kissed Seifer Almasy!!! Zell’s mind screamed at him, but to no avail. Zell sat paralyzed on the bed, unable, and unwilling to move, as another wave of seasickness washed over him.

...but he was so cute! he thought, thinking back to what Seifer had looked like in the dream, and panicked:

What am I thinking?! He’s a guy for cryin’ out loud!!! Guy’s aren’t *cute* for Hyne’s sake!!!

But then a voice in the back of his head told him:

"Nah, guy’s are cute too; it’s just that sometimes they can be oh-so-damned sexy!"

No. he was not going to go there; he was not about to cross the line only because he was seasick and had just had a *very* weird dream. Determinedly, he told himself, he was *not* anywhere near dreaming daydreams of soaring on pink clouds with Seifer Almasy.

...Oh, Gods, I need a drink!!

*******

"Man, this place is awesome!!!" Emaralde said, while helping poor Aqua load his stuff onto the big bus that was to take them to Dollet, "I mean, *man*, look at that view!!"

"Yeah. Neat." Aqua grumbled from behind the stack of bags and trunks in his arms. Eemaralde turned around and rushed to relieve him of the heavy load of possessions, and smiled:

"Aw, come on! Don’t be such a sour-puss!!"

"Am not."

"Ok, you’re not. You’re wonderful."

Seifer came strolling up to the bus just in time to see Emaralde sneak his arms around Aqua’s waist and hug him tight.

Damn exhibitionists!! Seifer thought and diverted his eyes, adding:

"Don’t tell me, you too is going to Dollet!!"

Emaralde turned around at the sound of that voice which was obviously directed at him, his eyes turning into green fire, but his voice still calm, he said:

"You got a problem with that?"

"As a matter of fact, I do!" Seifer said, still approaching the bus, and the people loading their things onto it. Emaralde dropped his things along with Aqua’s, and got into a fighting stance.
"That’s it!! You want a piece of me, you prick? Then come and get it!!!"

"I think I will!!"

Before Aqua had even a chance to say: ‘Huh???’, there was a fist fight taking place in full course right before his eyes. Before he had the chance to break the two off, they both had received a blow or two.

"Stop it!! STOP IT, Emaralde!! Stop!!" he yelled, desperately trying to keep Emaralde away, while two other men kept Seifer back, "Look at me, Emaralde!!"

The redhead obliged, and after a few moments of looking into those fiery red eyes, he calmed down considerably. When Emaralde was no longer posing as a threat, Seifer too, calmed himself.

"Now, what the hell is wrong with the two of you!!" Aqua spun around, eyeing Seifer, and then turning back to Emaralde, "Why did you even bother getting into a fight?! It’s not like you, Emaralde! And a stranger!! You picked a fight with a stranger!!"

"He’s no stranger." Emaralde spat.

Seifer stood foot, not moving an inch, watching his opponent’s smallest move.

"I reckon the two of you know each other very well." he said, keeping his voice steady and calm, "I hope you’re not both as rude as Emaralde."

"What do you mean, ‘rude’!? My Emmy’s not rude!!" Aqua spun around and walked up to Seifer, looking him straight in the eyes, challenging him to say that one more time... Seifer met that glare, with steady eyes, and a blank expression, while Emaralde squirmed behind them.

"... I was just tryin’ to be friendly...that’s all..." he said, while a hand went up to scratch his neck.

Aqua’s eyes widened, and went soft, and he turned around to look at his love.

"Trying to be friendly? Emaralde! What did you do?"

"He dug his nose into my private life." Seifer stated.

A disgruntled sigh came from Aqua’s lips, and his hands went up to the skies in a gesture that said: ‘Why? Why me?’, and he sighed again looking up at Emaralde.

"What did I tell you about prying into other people’s lives? You don’t like it when people get too nosy about our life, then..."

"...’then why should I be nosy about theirs?’ Yeah, I know... But I did apologize!! He just wouldn’t accept it!"

"That’s still no reason to go fist fight him!!" Aqua said, and then turned around, apologizing to Seifer, and walked over to Emaralde, and tended to the small bruise spreading around his right eye.

"Aow! Hey, watch it!" he grunted, as Aqua pressed down hard on the bruise.

"Don’t you tell me to watch it!! Go whine about the pain to someone who cares!!"

Seifer stepped up and swung his bag into the trunk, and then went up into the bus, finding himself a seat. He gave up a big sigh of relief, as he settled into the comfortable seat. If only Zell was here...then, at least, I’d have someone interesting to talk to... he thought, and got lost in visualizing Zell’s face. Every eyelash, the paler-than-pale blue eyes glistening at him, every single spike of honey blond hair the way it had been that night when they talked over that cup of cocoa...

"Hey. What’s up with this!?? Aqua!!"

Seifer snapped out of his dreams, and looked up at Emaralde, waving his hands about over something. That something turned out to be, that Aqua was pulling him to where Seifer was sitting.

"May we have a seat here, sir?" Aqua asked, his soft voice so unlike the rasping one of Emaralde.

Seifer gave a swift nod, and turned back to staring out the window, and went back to his daydreams as the two young men settled down beside each other.

"So... I’m Aqua." the bluehaired man said, as he reached out to shake Seifer’s hand. He took it and gave it a shake:

"I’m Seifer Almasy. Nice to meet someone who’s got some manners."

Emaralde grunted some curses, but neither Aqua nor Seifer payed any attention.

"If you don’t mind me asking, Almasy-san, but, what brings you to Dollet?"

"I was invited to the Summer Festival at Trabia Garden, and when I get to Dollet, I’m going to take the line cruiser to get there." he even afforded a smile at Aqua, who smiled back, seemingly even happier now than just seconds before.

"You’re going to Trabia?! So are we!!!"

*******

As the line cruiser to Trabia arrived, Zell reeled his way out of his room, trying to keep himself from falling over, and at the same time keeping track of both his things, and his direction. He stepped out of the room, and tried to remember his way back to the gangway, since he had spent the whole trip inside his room, either hurling his guts up or lying passed out on the bed.

He was happy to see that he didn’t fall to face his death from the gangway, and as soon as he got down on the Trabian mainland he went to his knees and thanked the gods the trip over water hadn’t killed him.

After a bumpy slayride behind a couple of tamed mesmerizes, Zell finally arrived at Trabia Garden, safe and sound, if perhaps a bit taken from the enhanced nausea.

As he staggered along the path up to the main entrance to the building, there came a group of students to his aide.

"Are you all right, mister? Do you need any help?" a young girl asked him.

All he found himself able to do was nod, and go along with them helping him to keep steady and walk straight along the path.

"What happened, mister? Did you get attacked on your way here? Do you need some potion?" one of the boys helping out, asked him.

"No." he shook his head, and reeled at the stars flashing before his eyes, "Just seasickness, after spending an eternity on the cruise-liner from Dollet, and then a bumpy slayride from the port to here..."

"Oh..." another girl said, "Are you maybe here for the festival?"

"’huh..." Zell said, fighting the significant urge to be very, very sick, and hurl, "...just get me to some sort of room, ok? I don’t feel too good, right now..."

"Yes...of course, mister!"

*******

After Zell had been given his room at the Trabia Garden, and resting for the remainder of the evening, he decided to pay ol’ Selphie a visit. After all, he was one of her guests of honor, and he felt it was only good manners to announce his arrival.

As he made his way down the corridors to the principal’s office, he not knowingly started humming that tune...

"....anata ni wa todokanai kotoba narabetemite mo, matashisen wa dokoka, mado no mukou..." he smiled to himself, and wondered for a bit if Seifer had heard his little radio request. He hoped so, and he hoped that he had been glad about the encouragement. He needs all the encouragement in the world... he thought, and came to a stop by the principal’s office. He knocked sort of gingerly, not wanting to disturb Selphie in her work, and waited for a reply.

"Enter." came the soft voice of Selphie from inside the office, and Zell gladly entered, a wide grin on his lips, awaiting Selphie’s facial expression when she saw him. He wasn’t disappointed, as she looked up from the stack of paperwork and her mouth fell open.

"ZELL!!!!" she gaped, and flew out from behind her desk to throw herself around his neck. A ringing laughter came from his lips as he swung her around, giving her a big hug.

"Long time no see, babey! How are ya doing Selphie?! Or, perhaps, I should call you ‘Professor Tilmitt’?" he grinned, and slowed down to a stop, still holding her in a tight hug.

"Oh, Zell!! I can’t believe you’re finally here!! How I’ve missed you... It’s been so quiet without your charismatic self around!!"

"Aww..." Zell made a mocked face of modesty, "I’ve missed you too, Selphie! It really wasn’t the same without your hyper-happiness and over-joy around..."

Selphie smirked at Zell’s smart remark, but let it pass for just his once. She pulled back from his hug, and offered him to take a seat on the couch.

"Would you perhaps like something to drink?"

"But, Selphie!" Zell said, his expression pale with shock, "Don’t tell me they let you have a minibar in here?!"

Selphie just looked at him for a brief moment, and then burst out in laughter. Zell grinned one of those trademark grins, and as she poured him a cup of tea, she sat down beside him and began her inquiry of what he had been up to during all those years that they hadn’t seen each other.

She listened eagerly to all the things Zell had to say, and only on occasion did she interrupt him if there was something that she wanted to know more about, or didn’t quite follow.

"....and it was the strangest thing..."

"What is?"

"Just yesterday, I saw Seifer on the beach..."

"Seifer? Oh, how great!! How was he doing??"

Zell smiled. Clearly, Selphie was one of the few people who honestly cared about Seifer’s well-being. He swirled the spoon around in the steaming tea, and began once more:

"I was out, walking down the beach, like I often do in the afternoon... and all of a sudden, when I passed a small patch of bushes, I saw him sitting on a rock, hugging his knees and looking at the ocean..."

Selphie nodded for him to continue, and so he did.

"...I don’t know..but, thinking back... He almost looked... sad."

The small bus made its way slowly forward Timber, and during the trip, Seifer found himself getting to take a liking to Aqua. But, when it came to Emaralde, he didn’t have much to say. He still didn’t like him.

"...if you don’t mind me asking, but...for how long have you been a couple..?" Seifer asked, trying not to come off as nosy. But Aqua only smiled, and took Emaralde’s hand in his.

"...I think...for almost three years now, isn’t that right, Emmy-kun?" he said, turning to Emaralde, who grunted a small: ‘yes.’

"Three years!?" Seifer almost gasped, "...but..isn’t it hard? I mean, what do your friends think?? Or..the people of your town??"

"Why would we care about what other people think??" Emaralde growled defensively, "It’s not our problem if narrow-minded people have something to say about it!!" Emaralde glared at Seifer, his dark green eyes glistening. He was getting tired of Seifer’s stupid questions, after spending hours in the same train compartment, and then the same bus.

"Emaralde..." Aqua said calmly, squeezing Emaralde’s hand, "Almasy-san here is only trying to be a nice travelling companion. I’ve asked him a lot about his life, and so, I think he is entitled to do the same to me, nee, Emmy-kun?"

Emaralde muttered some curses under his breath and nodded, while Aqua happily turned back to Seifer.

"...do you have someone special in your life, Almasy-san? If I may ask..?"

Seifer cursed himself inwardly as his cheeks started to burn.

"...I take it, there is someone, then..?" Aqua smiled. Seifer looked up to stare at him for a brief moment. It really was so easy to see him through.

"Yes.." he admitted reluctantly.

"Would you mind telling us about her?"

"Uhm...yes, I would."

"Oh. I sure didn’t mean to pry, Almasy-san, I assure you."

"I understand. It’s just that ...well, I am not the man that everyone back home seems to thinks I am ..."

"How come?" Aqua asked silently, his eyes wide in understanding attention and his eyebrows raised into two lopsided, clear blue arches.

"...for a long time, I was kept from the world, in more than one way. And when I was freed from my prison, everything seemed so changed. Everyone but me had gone on with their lives, and I was left so far behind, that no one thought I had changed at all." he sighed, and turned to look at the scenery passing by. He continued:

"Now, everyone who recognizes me, assumes I am someone, or something that I’m not... Even the one I cared most about; the one I have loved for so long, thought ill of me."

"...but, why.. It is only foolish to assume things about people you don’t really know." Aqua stated, trying to draw Seifer’s attention back to him and Emaralde, "... I hope your love does not think ill of you even now, Almasy-san... It would be most unfortunate..."

Seifer smiled at Aqua’s cautious statement, obviously trying to be as polite as he could.

"Yes, it would... Most unfortunate..." he agreed, and continued to stare at the far away horizon, as the bus slowly made its way to the town of Timber.

*******

A couple of hours later in the evening, at Trabia Garden, Selphie decided to give Zell a little tour of the place, so he would be able to see all of the improvements they had made since she became headmaster. And, of course, they took a well-deserved trip to the cafeteria.

There, they were soon accompanied by Squall and Irvine, who both received a heartfelt hug from the small, tatooed blond. He gave up a sparkle of a laugh, and instantly started teasing his friends.

"...so, for exactly how long did you think the two of you could go on playing that game of yours, trying to act as if you were the worst of enemies, hmmm..?" he showed off one of his most brilliant smiles, and though he didn’t notice, almost everyone of the young students were looking at him. The black tatoo so mezmerising, and his grin and voice so intrigueing, that almost none could take their eyes off him.

They all sat down, and Squall and Irvine went to order something from the kind ladys managing the cafeteria. One of the middle-aged women, dressed in a bright red dress and an apron, grinned at them both, and said, her voice rasping from all of the cigarettes she had smoked in her life:

"...’ey! Are ya’wl the two who went through me kitchen yesterday, rummaging through my cupboards and drawers for food?? ...You cute li’l scavengers..!" she smiled, her voice nothing but kind. Irvine blushed, and Squall gave up a nervous laugh, before continuing to place his order.

"May I have cup of coffee, black, and ...one of those sandwiches, please..."

"Of course you may, young man! Here you go! ...and, do make room for that handsome friend of yours, so he can make his order as well ..."

Irvine stepped up to the counter, his face getting redder by the second.

"Uhm..." he said, too embarrassed to look the woman behind the counter in the eyes, "I would like... one of your hamburgers, please, and a glass of juice..."

But, to Irvine’s relief, she just smiled at him, and presented him with what he had ordered.

"Here you go, cute one! Now, hurry up, boy. You don’t want to make your friend wait, now, do you..?"

Irvine’s face snapped up to the lady, and then turned around, to see Squall standing a bit from him, waiting.

"Uhm...Thanks, ma’am!" he said, and hurried to take his tray and join his ‘friend’ as the lady had put it...

********

As Seifer stood out on the deck, leaning against one of the rails, watching the ocean swiftly passing by, he suddenly heard a lustrous laughter coming from not too far away. He turned around, and saw Aqua holding Emaralde’s arm tight as they walked towards their shared cabin. Seifer at once felt that sudden jealousy sting at his heart like the most poisonous venom, and it made him angry that he was so easily affected by such a display of tenderness.

Damn exhibitionists. he thought, and remembered how that was the exact thing he had thought of them, when he had first seen them together, laughing and cheering in each other’s company. He hung his head, and continued to gaze at the dark ocean. After only a second, a sudden chill of ice went up and down his spine, making every hair on his back and neck stand on end. He turned around in pure instinct and fear, since he knew that feeling all too well from his stay at the Galbadian prison. But, he saw nothing; no one was there.

A bit more tense, he turned back to the ocean once more, trying to focus on something but the memories of his imprisonment.

But then, it came again; that familiar tensing of all his muscles, the shrill of cold panick running up his spine and down again. The will to scream out loud, to run, until his long legs would carry him no more. He turned around, slower this time, and called out to the empty space of the deck.

"Who’s there?"

No one answered him.

"Is there anyone there?"

Still no answer.

He felt how the panick rose within him, and with it, his voice cracked:

"Show yourself!!" but, there came no answer from the shadows, no answer from the empty space in front of his eyes.

He instantly turned on his heel and hurried over to Aqua and Emaralde’s cabin.

"Aqua! Emaralde!! Are you in there!?" he banged on the door, praying to what ever god there may be, that they wouldn’t have left their cabin without him noticing.

"Argh, hold on a sec, will ya!" Emaralde’s grunt came from within the cabin, and Seifer’s heart leapt with relief; they hadn’t left!

The remaining hour or so of the trip to Trabia Garden, Seifer spent in the company of a very happy Aqua, and a very silent Emaralde. No matter how fun Aqua was to talk with, or how much Seifer felt they had in common, he just couldn’t bring himself to forget that horrible feeling out on the deck.

But, just like every voyage, this one had an end. And soon, they were arriving, Trabia Garden being only a couple of miles away.

______________________________________________________